JTG Foundation - Who We Are

Founded by John T. Gorman, Jr. ("Tom") in 1995, the mission of the John T. Gorman Foundation ("JTG") is to improve the lives of Maine residents through grant making targeted to its five core focus areas: aiding underprivileged residents, enhancing mental health services, improving care for those suffering from cancer, enhancing the lives of the elderly, and providing for the unmet needs of low income or otherwise disadvantaged children.

Tom Gorman founded the JTG Foundation to give back to the community which has allowed him to realize personal success and achievement, and to honor the memories of his mother and his father. To achieve this vision, the Foundation focuses its grant-making to those agencies and organizations whose services will be most likely to reach the populations of interest to the Foundation. The Foundation believes that this goal can be best achieved by making grants aimed at providing for the fundamental needs of the very poor, including food, housing, energy, transportation and communication, and for the delivery of cancer and mental health services to underserved residents.

Grant-making is expected to evolve as times change, provided that Tom’s core areas of interest are addressed. The Foundation will strive to find a balance between making grants to address immediate needs, and making strategic, longer term grants which invest in the future. Preference will be given to grant recipients which have demonstrated viability.

Through its work, the Foundation strives to improve the lives of those Maine residents that are most in need.

Board of Directors

Shawn O. Gorman, Chairman of the Board, is one of Tom Gorman's nephews and a lifetime member of the Board. Shawn is the Vice President for Card Services at L. L. Bean, Inc., where he has worked for 20 years. Shawn serves on the L. L. Bean Board of Directors, is Vice Chair of the L. L. Bean Compensation Committee and also serves on the L. L. Bean Audit Committee. Shawn is a member of the Board of The United Way of Greater Portland, for which he is serving as the 2011 Campaign Chair.

Jeffrey J. Gorman, Vice Chairman of the Board, is also a nephew of Tom Gorman and a lifetime member of the Board. Jeff is a pilot for JetBlue Airways. Jeff serves on the L. L. Bean Board of Directors, as well as the L. L. Bean Compensation and Audit Committees. Jeff has served on numerous committees and organizations within the aviation and airline industry for the last 20 years.

Weston Bonney, Treasurer, has served on the JTG Board since 1995. Wes retired as President and CEO of Peoples Heritage Financial Group (now TD Bank). Since retirement, Wes has served as a bank consultant for TD Bank and as a volunteer consultant for several banks in Bulgaria, Romania, Mongolia and Macedonia. Wes has a long history of serving on for-profit and non-profit boards. A number of the non-profit boards on which he has served include: Bates College, for which he is a Trustee Emeritus, Maine State Board of Education, The Muskie School of Public Service, Maine Development Foundation, Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education, The Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Maine Maritime Museum, Kents Hill School, Youth and Family Outreach, Lawrence General Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital.

Martha ("Meg") Greene has served as the Foundation's Managing Director for the past decade. She will be transitioning out of this role, but will remain a Board member, as soon as a full time President and CEO is hired. Meg is a senior partner of the firm of Brann & Isaacson, where she specializes in sophisticated estate planning and charitable giving. Meg also serves as Vice-Chair of the Maine Philanthropy Center and is an active philanthropic representative on the Cumberland County Food Coalition. Meg is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Irving Isaacson was a good friend of Tom Gorman, and assisted him in creating the Foundation in 1995. Irving is the senior partner of Brann & Isaacson, where he has practiced since 1939. Irving's creative philanthropy helped lay the foundation for JTG's strategic grant making and is evident in the grant making of his own private foundation, the L&A Fund.

Richard W. Petersen currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Maine Medical Center. Prior to his appointment as President and CEO, Rich served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Maine Medical Center. Rich also currently serves as a Board member of The United Way of Greater Portland, Cheverus High School and the University of Southern Maine. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.